Meghalaya was at the bottom of the list of 14 states in the overall cleanliness ranking of states with less than 100 Urban Local Bodies category in the Swachh Survekshan 2021, the results of which were announced by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry on Saturday.
Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India.
Meghalaya scored 225.
Jharkhand has for the second time, won the Cleanest State award in the category.
Among the other northeastern states, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura have secured 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th position, respectively.
On Saturday, President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the awards in presence of Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and others at an event.
As informed by the ministry, in the latest nationwide cleanliness survey, 4,320 cities were covered in 28 days, and over 4.2 core people had given their feedback.
Meanwhile, Mizoram was awarded India’s ‘Fastest Mover State’ title in the small (less than 100 Urban Local Bodies) state category.
Speaking at the event, the President said that this year’s Swachh Survekshan Awards have special significance because we are celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. He noted that Safai Mitras and sanitation workers have continuously rendered their services even during the COVID pandemic. He said that the government is committed to ensure that life of no sanitation worker is put at risk due to unsafe cleaning practices.
The President said that effective management of solid waste is essential to keep the cities clean. He stressed that environment conservation has been an integral part of the traditional lifestyle of India.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing AND Urban Affairs, speaking on the occasion, said that the achievements under SBM-U have been the result of unprecedented collective efforts. He said that today, the Mission has taken the shape of a people’s movement – a true ‘Jan Andolan’.
The Swachh Survekshan, which began as a pilot project in 2016 in 73 cities is the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey today, he said, adding the next few years will be dedicated to focusing on holistic cleanliness, i.e. Clean Air, Clean Land, and Clean Water.
